Notes from Underground (1864) is considered one of Dostoevsky’s most influential works and a key precursor to existentialist literature. It is written as the confession or inner monologue of an unnamed narrator known as the Underground Man, a bitter, isolated former civil servant living in St. Petersburg. The book is divided into two parts. --- Part I: “Underground” The Underground Man introduces himself as a spiteful and self-contradictory individual. He lives in self-imposed isolation, filled with resentment toward society and himself. He argues that rationality, progress, and reason, which 19th-century thinkers claimed would lead to human happiness, actually destroy individuality and freedom. He mocks the idea that humans always act in their own best interest, claiming people often do the opposite just to prove they have free will. He portrays himself as overly conscious — a man who thinks too much and does nothing, paralyzed by self-awareness. He despises others but also longs for ...
Compendium on Work, Health , Learning , Social and Spiritual Aspects of Leading a Complete Life